Born December 30th, 1970 to Bernie & Dodie O'Donnell, Elizabeth was the oldest of four children: brother Patrick and sisters Katie & Erin. Her mother describes Elizabeth as an imaginative child, highly attuned to feelings and emotions; a "sensitive soul." At the tender age of two, upon coming across a crying Dodie, Elizabeth soothed her mother with a thoughtful, serious confidence beyond her years: "It be better, mama, it be better..." An animal lover from an early age, Elizabeth was devoted to her first dog appropriately dubbed "Scratch" - most likely due to the activity she was frequently occupied with - and was found on occasion to pledge allegiance to her stick horse. Words the O'Donnell family uses to describe Elizabeth: Smart. Creative. Stubborn. Elizabeth, who always liked numbers and did well in school, went on to attend Cerritos College in 1987, where counselor David Young first suggested the possibility of a career as a mathematics teacher.
From humble beginnings as an Instructional Aide for the Mathematics Learning Center at Cerritos College in 1990, Elizabeth's passion for mathematics was a driving force in her exceptional career. Elizabeth went on to teach at California State University Long Beach in the late 1990's, ultimately accepting an invitation to join as Professor in the Mathematics Department at Cypress College in the Fall of 2000. Never satisfied with the status quo, Elizabeth spearheaded many innovative programs which incorporated the effective use of emerging technologies within several new instructional strategies. Her students continue to use many of her ideas throughout life while singing praises for Professor Hamman's unique ability to "make math magical" and fun.
Elizabeth, through her tireless efforts and influence, inspired not only her many students but also her colleagues; fellow Cypress College mathematics professor Cheryl Gibby recalls how Elizabeth took over her mentorship some years ago when Cheryl's former mentor retired. What began as a joke blossomed into an earnest endeavor, through which Elizabeth's creative influence inspired Cheryl - already a 38-year academics veteran - to forgo her own retirement plans in order to share Elizabeth's innovative techniques with her own mathematics students.
Through a blind date in 1991, Elizabeth met her soul-mate and future husband, Billy Ray Hamman. Married on July 9th, 1994, Elizabeth and Billy spent the next sixteen years, sharing life and love together. In addition to the warmth of his wife's smile and her "beautiful eyes," Billy proudly describes Elizabeth as a "good military wife" - always supportive, even during three separate occasions during their marriage when he was called away for six-month stretches; fulfilling the obligations of his role as Sergeant in the United States Marine Corps.
Elizabeth and Billy filled their days together with the many activities they both enjoyed - bike-riding, geocaching, movies - making each other a priority with "date night" every week, without fail. Frequently traveling and cruising, Elizabeth and Billy most recently visited Ireland in 2008 - during which Elizabeth blogged about their adventures, sharing experiences and photographs with friends and family back home. An avid reader of historical romances and science fiction, Elizabeth loved fairies, labyrinths, and other magical things. In 1995, Elizabeth and Billy expanded their duo to a threesome with the adoption of cat Tinker Bell, joined by fellow feline Cammie in 2007. Carried over from her childhood days of "dress up," Elizabeth and Billy attended the Labyrinth of Jareth masquerade ball six years in a row; for which Elizabeth would make intricate masks by hand, feeding her "arts and crafts" habit.
While eager to share his wife's many accomplishments, Billy acknowledges that Elizabeth herself was always humble about her talents; during a recent conference in Michigan in 2009, Billy remembers her somewhat amazed revelation when Elizabeth was made aware of "how much she actually knew" about mathematics. Though not entirely comfortable with pure spontaneity, Elizabeth liked to plan out the details of any activity in order to get the most out of it - whether lesson plans, vacations, or anything in between. She liked to take charge, a characteristic which Billy admired and acclimated easily towards.
In honor of Elizabeth's lifelong contributions, the Elizabeth Hamman Math Scholarship has been established through Cerritos College, and a second scholarship is currently being set up through Cypress College.
Grateful that God saw fit to loan Elizabeth to this world for thirty-nine wonderful years, her loved ones are nonetheless devastated to lose her after such a seemingly brief time. Our hearts go with you, Elizabeth, for safe-keeping until we are once again reunited in everlasting glory.
Elizabeth M. Hamman
12/30/70 - 7/18/10
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